Participants of the International Women's Colloquium in Liberia focus on the dividends of girl's education for development

An education panel on March 8 that took place during the International Women's Colloquium in Monrovia, Liberia discussed education as a means for achieving MDGs. UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Hilde Johnson, moderated the panel.

Women and men from around the globe gathered to discuss issues of gender equity, climate change, security, education, peace building, and other topics during the International Women’s Colloquium took place in Monrovia, Liberia, on March 7 and 8.

During a Panel entitled “Empowerment Linkage,” on the importance of education as a means of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, participants discussed situations in their respective countries, best practices, and ultimately formulated a policy advisory entitled “From Access to Success.”

Moderated by UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde Johnson, the panel focused on several aspects of educating women. Some of the recommendations that resulted from the discussions included: the importance of universal primary education was not to overshadow the importance of secondary education; school fees needed to be supplemented with extra support for food, housing and text books; sanitation facilities and sanitary pads need to be provided for girls to be able to attend school safely at all times; parental involvement is paramount to success; more female teachers will encourage girl students; and networks of female students as well as student-faculty networks needed to be established so that girls can report abuse and support each other.

Ms. Johnson also discussed the importance of education women for the betterment of all society. Educated women take care of their children’s health and well being more than those women who haven’t had the opportunity for education, she said. She also bemoaned the fact that 80 percent of children worldwide who don’t attend school are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Panel attendants were passionate about the importance of education to directly improving people’s lives and the importance of empowering girls to achieve change throughout society.